Lyons (hamlet), New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lyons, New York
Hamlet and CDP
Wayne County Courthouse
Location in Wayne County and the state of New York.
Lyons (hamlet), New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Wayne
Town	Lyons
Settled	May 1789 (1789-05)
Incorporated	April 18, 1854 (1854-04-18)
Dissolved	December 31, 2015
Named for	Lyon, France
Area
• Total	4.1 sq mi (10.7 km2)
• Land	4.1 sq mi (10.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	438 ft (125 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3,619
• Density	882.7/sq mi (344.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code(s)	14489
Area code(s)	315 and 680
FIPS code	36-43962
GNIS feature ID	0956197

Lyons is a small community called a hamlet in Wayne County, New York, United States. It's also a place where the government keeps track of population, known as a census-designated place. In 2020, about 3,989 people lived there.

Lyons is located in the southern part of the larger Town of Lyons. Both the hamlet and the town got their name from the city of Lyon in France. It was first called "The Forks" but was later renamed by a land agent named George Williamson.

Lyons is special because it's the county seat of Wayne County. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. From 1854 until 2015, Lyons was an official village. The hamlet is located east of the city of Rochester.

History of Lyons

The community of Lyons was first settled around 1789. It officially became a village in 1854. The famous Erie Canal used to run right through the middle of the village. However, when the canal was made bigger in the 1850s, its path was moved slightly south. Later, the canal followed the path of the Clyde River.

On November 6, 2012, the people living in Lyons village voted to combine their village with the surrounding town. This decision passed by a small number of votes.

Several important buildings and areas in Lyons are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the H. G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company Plant, the Grace Episcopal Church Complex, the Broad Street–Water Street Historic District, and the U.S. Post Office.

In 1986, parts of two movies were filmed in Lyons. The Spanish film Slugs chose Lyons for its charming American look. The movie Lady in White also filmed there because of its historic and well-preserved atmosphere.

Lyons is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. This corridor helps protect and celebrate the history of the Erie Canal. Erie Canal Lock 27 is near Lyons, below the bridge on Leach Road. This lock was built around 1913 and helps boats travel up or down 12.5 feet (3.81 meters).

Every year in mid-July, Lyons celebrates "Peppermint Days." This festival remembers a time when the area was famous for growing a lot of peppermint.

Village Dissolution

In 2012, a group of local taxpayers formed "OneLyons." They wanted to combine the village government with the town government. They believed this would save money on taxes. After the village didn't act on a study that showed possible savings, OneLyons gathered signatures to force a vote on the idea.

In November 2012, the village residents voted to dissolve the village. This started a process under a New York State law that helps communities reorganize their governments.

The Village of Lyons then created a committee and hired a consultant to plan the dissolution. According to state law, they had a deadline to create and approve this plan.

There were some legal discussions about the deadlines and how the process was handled. Eventually, a second vote on dissolution happened in March 2014. This time, the "yes" vote won by a larger margin of 519 to 353.

The Village of Lyons officially dissolved on December 31, 2015. Now, all the government tasks that the village used to handle are managed by the larger Town of Lyons.

Geography of Lyons

According to information from the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet of Lyons covers a total area of about 4.2 square miles (10.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 4.1 square miles (10.5 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.1 square miles (0.2 square kilometers), is water.

The hamlet is located right on the Erie Canal. Major roads serving Lyons include New York State Route 14 (NY 14), which runs north and south. This road crosses NY 31, which runs east and west, just south of the hamlet's center.

Population and People

In 2010, when Lyons was still a village, there were 3,619 people living there. These people made up 1,521 households, which are groups of people living together. About 902 of these were families.

The population density was about 882.7 people per square mile. Most of the people living in Lyons were White (83.8%). About 10.6% were Black or African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and people from two or more races. About 5.0% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of age, about 27.3% of the population was under 20 years old. About 14.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in Lyons was 39.3 years.

The average income for a household in Lyons was about $30,813. For families, the average income was higher, around $49,306. About 22.2% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included about 33.3% of those under 18 years old.

Homes in Lyons

In 2010, there were 1,716 housing units in Lyons. A housing unit is a house, apartment, or other place where people live. The average density was about 418.5 housing units per square mile. About 11.4% of these housing units were empty.

Out of the 1,521 occupied homes, 875 were owned by the people living in them. The other 646 homes were rented.

See also

In Spanish: Lyons (villa) para niños